V4VICI

This guy was a writer for Bill Maher and has now committed career suicide in Hollywood. Although I do not agree with everything, he clearly has some interesting things to say. He over generalizes in an effort to polarize R vs. D. However, much of what he says is similar to my ranting in my letters to Vienna.

It must have been very difficult for him trying to work in the industry where liberal anti-American group think is so pervasive. Many of my friends work in that industry, and I live in Los Angeles. So, I know what it is like to hold a completely rational position but nevertheless be part of a small minority surrounded by a vast intolerant majority. Generally, I have to be very cautious about who I express any opinions to, because people in this town are very judgmental against anything resembling a conservative or a Republican. You cannot even admit to watching Fox News without being branded a racist, bigot, imperialistic homophobe.

Joe Wilson is a liar. He lied about how he got the CIA junket to Niger (nepotism). He lied about being sent by the VP (The VP had no idea who he was). He lied about identifying forged documents (he never saw the documents). He lied about debunking that Iraqis were seeking to purchase uranium in Africa (In fact, his report that Iraqi agents visited Niger actually supported the conclusion that Iraq was seeking uranium, because that is about all that Niger has to export). He lied about his finding being reported to the VP (he merely gave a verbal report to his wife's buddies at the CIA and had no idea if it was repeated to the VP). Plame lied about her nepotism in getting her husband the job. Both are definitely democrat operatives. Plame is probably part of the cabal inside the CIA intent on discrediting the Bush administration. Was it not the CIA WMD team that told Bush that it was a "slam dunk" that Saddam had WMD???

Furthermore, there was no crime committed. Plame was probably not "covert" as that term is used in the criminal statute. The statute requires that the CIA operative be stationed overseas within the last 5 years. Plame had travelled overseas on secret CIA business, but was not "stationed" overseas during the preceding 5 years. So, technically the statute was not violated even by Armitage.

HOWEVER, both Cheney, through his chief of staff, and Rove both disclosed to reporters the identity of a classified covert CIA operative working in a sensitive area. This disclosure was in violation of an executive order prohibiting the disclosure of classified information and was done for the intended purpose of refuting a critic of the administration. Some may even say as "retribution." However, since I agree that Wilson was lying, I believe the disclosure was just part of a misguided effort to correct the record, ala: "No, he was not sent by us, he was sent by his wife who works in the CIA. We didn't know anything about him."

Cheney, Libby and Rove may have been unaware of her classified status. That would also be a defense to the criminal statute. But, frankly, I expect more from my leaders. If they are going to drop names of CIA employees as part of a political hit piece, they had better make sure that the CIA employee is not a spy!

Armitage did it first. So what. I think this falls into the category of two wrongs don't make a right. Just because Armitage messed up, that does not excuse Cheney, Libby, and Rove from their mistakes.

Wilson outed her own wife in Who's Who. This is the dumbest argument of them all. Wilson was married to Plame that was public knowledge. What was not public knowledge was that her wife was a spy and that was not disclosed anywhere in the Who's Who entry.

Everyone comes out of this looking like crap. Wilson is for ever discredited as a liar. Plame is driven out of the CIA -- good that treacherous cabal needs to be broken up anyway. Libby is facing justice for a process crime. I had no sympathy for Clinton, and I see no reason to change my tune now. But Cheney and Rove have not suffered any consequences. They should resign and have their security clearances revoked.

However, I think we need to replace Cheney with a right wing ideologue that scares the crap out of the liberals. I think Cheney is the main reason liberals are concerned with Bush's health -- if you know what I mean.

Absolutely nothing. Except eradicating Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, Military Shintoism, and Militant Islam. However, to have beneficial effects, war must be total. It must break what was defective so totally that it cannot grow back. The slate must be cleaned so that something different and better can grow.

"[T]hat we will remove and destroy every obstacle, if need be, take every life, every acre of land, every particle of property, everything that to us seems proper; that we will not cease till the end is attained; that all who do not aid us are enemies, that we will not account to them for our acts.... I would not coax them, or even meet them half way, but make them so sick of war that generations would pass away before they would again appeal to it." -- William T. Sherman

Not sure if go daddy is forwarding www.v4vici to my .mac account yet. Still working out the kinks.